illegal aliens

A man arrested Wednesday night for allegedly shooting a BB gun at a car in Oregon City turned out to be an convicted felon who had been deported to Mexico two years ago...

...The detained driver provided a Mexico driver license that was later determined to be fake with a false name and date of birth. Subsequent investigation also led to the discovery of a BB gun in the pickup, approximately 5 grams of suspected heroin, and over $6,600 cash.

...The suspect provided another name and date of birth that also proved to be false. He said he was deported over 2 years ago and had illegally returned about a month ago...

  Read more about Convicted felon deported to Mexico 2 years ago, arrested after shooting BB gun at car

With border authorities in South Texas overwhelmed by a surge of young illegal migrants traveling by themselves, the Department of Homeland Security declared a crisis this week and moved to set up an emergency shelter for the youths at an Air Force base in San Antonio, officials said Friday.

After seeing children packed in a Border Patrol station in McAllen, Tex., during a visit last Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Monday declared “a level-four condition of readiness” in the Rio Grande Valley. The alert was an official recognition that federal agencies overseeing borders, immigration enforcement and child welfare had been outstripped by a sudden increase in unaccompanied minors in recent weeks.

On Sunday, Department of Health and Human Services officials will open a shelter for up to 1,000 minors at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, authorities said, and will begin transferring youths there by land and air. The level-four alert is the highest for agencies handling children crossing the border illegally, and allows Homeland Security officials to call on emergency resources from other agencies, officials said.

Photo

 

A child from Honduras was among the youths from Central America being processed at the Border Patrol station in Brownsville, Tex., in March.Credit Todd Heisler/The New York Times

In an interview on Friday, Mr. Johnson said the influx of unaccompanied youths had “zoomed to the top of my agenda” after his encounters at the McAllen Border Patrol station with small children, one of whom was 3.

The children are coming primarily from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, making the perilous journey north through Mexico to Texas without parents or close adult relatives. Last weekend alone, more than 1,000 unaccompanied youths were being held at overflowing border stations in South Texas, officials said.

The flow of child migrants has been building since 2011, when 4,059 unaccompanied youths were apprehended by border agents. Last year more than 21,000 minors were caught, and Border Patrol officials had said they were expecting more than 60,000 this year. But that projection has already been exceeded.

By law, unaccompanied children caught crossing illegally from countries other than Mexico are treated differently from other migrants. After being apprehended by the Border Patrol, they must be turned over within 72 hours to a refugee resettlement office that is part of the Health Department. Health officials must try to find relatives or other adults in the United States who can care for them while their immigration cases move through the courts, a search that can take several weeks or more.

Photo

 

Jeh JohnsonCredit Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Health Department maintains shelters for the youths, most run by private contractors, in the border region. Health officials had begun several months ago to add beds in the shelters anticipating a seasonal increase. But the plans proved insufficient to handle a drastic increase of youths in recent weeks, a senior administration official said.

Mr. Johnson said Pentagon officials agreed this week to lend the space at Lackland, where health officials will run a shelter for up to four months. The base was also used as a temporary shelter for unaccompanied migrant youths in 2012. It became the focus of controversy when Gov. Rick Perry of Texas objected, accusing President Obama of encouraging illegal migration by sheltering the young people there.

Mr. Johnson said the young migrants became a more “vivid” issue for him after he persuaded his wife to spend Mother’s Day with him at the station in McAllen. He said he asked a 12-year-old girl where her mother was. She responded tearfully that she did not have a mother, and was hoping to find her father, who was living somewhere in the United States, Mr. Johnson said.

Mr. Johnson said he had spoken on Monday with the ambassadors from Mexico and the three Central American countries to seek their cooperation, and had begun a publicity campaign to dissuade youths from embarking for the United States.

“We have to discourage parents from sending or sending for their children to cross the Southwest border because of the risks involved,” Mr. Johnson said. “A South Texas processing center is no place for a child.”

Officials said many youths are fleeing gang violence at home, while some are seeking to reunite with parents in the United States. A majority of unaccompanied minors are not eligible to remain legally in the United States and are eventually returned home. Read more about U.S. Setting Up Emergency Shelter in Texas as Youths Cross Border Alone

Nearly 200 murderers, over 400 rapists, and 300 kidnappers in the U.S. illegally were released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while awaiting deportation proceedings, according to a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies.

A total of 36,007 criminal illegal immigrants that were being processed for deportation were freed in 2013. Together, they committed nearly 88,000 crimes, according to the report, published Monday.

“I was astonished at not only the huge number of convicted criminals who were freed from ICE custody last year – an average of almost 100 a day — but also at the large number of very serious crimes they had committed,” said Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, in a statement.

ICE gathered the statistics — which include a breakdown by crime — in response to congressional inquiry following another report released earlier this year by the Center of Immigration Studies.

That report, which was based on internal Department of Homeland Security documents, showed that ICE encountered over 193,000 illegal immigrant convicts. Charging documents were issued for 125,000, and nearly 68,000 were released.

That review also found that 870,000 illegal immigrants had been removed from ICE dockets despite being in defiance of the law. The number of illegal aliens targeted for deportation fell 28 percent between 2012 and 2013, according to the documents.

The 36,007 illegal immigrants reported Monday were freed by ICE during the final disposition of their cases. The 68,000 from the previous report were criminals who encountered ICE agents — often in jails — but were released without undergoing deportation proceedings.

The 36,007 were released by bond, parole, unsupervised release, or on their own recognizance.

Besides violent criminals, ICE released nearly 16,000 illegal immigrants convicted of driving under the influence. The report also shows that ICE released nearly 2,700 illegal immigrants convicted of assault, 1,300 convicted for domestic violence, and nearly 1,300 convicted for battery.

“These figures call into question President Obama’s request to Congress for permission to reduce immigration detention capacity by 10 percent in favor of permission to make wider use of experimental alternatives to detention,” reads the report.

In June 2011, the administration began applying “prosecutorial discretion” to many deportation cases. This has led to a 40 percent decrease in the number of deportations.

“Congress should resist further action on immigration reform until the public can be assured that enforcement is more robust and that ICE can better deal with its criminal alien caseload without setting them free in our communities,” said Vaughan in a statement. Read more about Murderers, Rapists, Kidnappers: Over 36,000 Criminal Illegal Immigrants Released In 2013

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has rejected California’s initial design for a driver’s license for immigrants in the country illegally, saying it is not distinguishable enough from permits given citizens.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles will go back to the drawing board and redesign the driver’s license, according to Armando Botello, a spokesman for the agency.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill last year that would provide driver’s licenses to those in the country illegally so they can drive to jobs and be required to take a test to show they are safe drivers.

The proposed design rejected by federal officials is different from a regular driver's license in two ways. Instead of the initials DL for "driver's license," it has the initials DP for "driving privilege" on the front. On the back, the license has a disclaimer saying it is not usable for federal purposes, which include identification for boarding a plane.

The notation says the document "does not establish eligibility for employment or public benefit."

The federal officials wrote that the Real ID Act requires markings “to allow Federal officials to quickly determine whether a license or identification card may be acceptable for official purposes” including “accessing Federal facilities, boarding federally-regulated commercial aircraft or entering nuclear power plants.”

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg and Sen. Ricardo Lara, chairman of the Latino Legislative Caucus, wrote to the secretary of homeland security urging him to reconsider the rejection.

"I also would urge you to provide assurance that DHS will not seek or use information provided by driver's license applicants for civil immigration enforcement purposes," Steinberg wrote. Read more about Feds reject design of driver's license for immigrants in U.S. illegally

Hundreds gather in front of the Capitol for the annual May Day Rally & March, which seeks equality for all.

All ages, colors and species showed up for the May Day Rally and March at the Capitol today, demonstrating their support for the cause of equality for all.

Hundreds gathered in the street in front of the seat of state government, holding signs and wearing T-shirts seeking a spotlight for their cause.

There were groups seeking Driver's Cards for residents and urging them to vote for a referendum on the issue in November, while others sought a solid education for all children. Still other groups worked the crowd into a froth for immigration reform and better worker wage and safety protections.

Tim Stoelb, president of the Oregon School Employees Association, stood in front of a table laden with T-shirts and fliers. He and volunteers were there in support of immigration reform, having sent the membership, and anyone else who would listen, fliers and emails urging them to attend the rally and march.

"The issue is important to us because what's going on now is splitting families, which then has a significant impact on children and their ability to learn," Stoelb said. "It's hard for children to focus on their education when they are suffering the emotional trauma of having family members taken from them."

Stoelb said it's time for communities to understand that this an issue that affects more than people of color.

"One child's suffering hurts the entire class because it takes the teacher's time and attention away from the rest of the students," Stoelb said. "Children are impacted through no fault of their own. We want to reclaim the promise of education to help all children succeed."

There were plenty of children with their parents and other adults at the rally. There also were plenty of leashed dogs enjoying the sunshine and constant petting. Children clung to pant legs, scampered across the Capitol steps, and inched curiously toward an incense burner displayed in front of the Titlakawan group. The Aztecs, in full regalia, danced and played drums to lend their support to the idea of equality for all.

The polite crowd used crosswalks, and waved their protest signs in front of Oregon passing motorists until city of Salem public works staff and the Mobile Response Team -- Salem police officers on bicycles -- closed off Court Street NE in front of the Capitol. Also on hand to help with crowd control were Salem Police Department motorcycle officers.

Amid the frenzied crowd, there was much cheering while volunteer signature gathers seized the opportunity to register folks to vote. The Aztec drum group kept a steady beat.

The weather, which in years past has not cooperated, was textbook perfect with plenty of sunshine and a cool breeze. The crowd continued to swell approaching the noon hour, and the start of the march.
  Read more about Capitol May Day rally draws a crowd

 About 500 people gathered at the Capitol on Thursday for the annual May Day rally and march in support of driver cards, comprehensive immigration reform, civil rights, same-sex marriage and workers rights...

...Comprehensive immigration reform has stalled in the U.S. House. In Oregon, voters in November will decide whether to grant driving privileges to Oregonians who can't prove they're in the state (country) legally...

Thursday's crowd was about a quarter of the size of last year's rally, when Gov. John Kitzhaber signed the driver cards bill into law in front of a rapturous crowd of 2,000. Opponents gathered enough signatures to send the law to the November ballot.

Instead of celebrating a victory this year, many of the May Day speeches and signs focused on defending driver cards and rallying support for the November referendum. Supporters registered voters and recruited volunteers.

"This is a solidarity thing -- we're celebrating workers, immigrants and others," said Darlene Huntress, executive director of Oregon Action, a Portland group that works for economic and social justice. "We have a lot of work to do to engage our base and educate Oregonians about what this law is about: fairness and giving our economy what it needs by letting people get to work."...

  Read more about May Day: Oregonians rally to support driver cards, immigration reform, civil rights

TALLAHASSEE —
As students in the Senate gallery wiped tears from their eyes and the voice of the bill’s sponsor cracked, the Senate approved a measure Thursday that would grant in-state tuition to immigrant students brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Afterward, undocumented students, parents and supporters who had sat on the floor outside the doors to the Senate all week cried, pumped their fists in the air and took selfies with the Senate version’s sponsor, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater.

“I’m a big softy,” said Latvala, whose voice cracked during his final remarks before the vote. “This is a big deal. It’s one of the things we’ll remember the rest of our lives.”

Two hours after the vote Gov. Rick Scott held an impromptu press conference in the rotunda.

“It’s an exciting day for every student that dreams of a college education,” Scott said. Then, after thanking lawmakers, Scott took a quick swipe at Charlie Crist, his opponent in the governor’s race.” This corrects the wrongs of Charlie Crist.”

It was the second vote of the day in the Republican-controlled Legislature in support of immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

Earlier Thursday, the House approved legislation (CS/HB 755) that would allow the Florida Supreme Court to admit a Tampa man as a lawyer, even though he remains an undocumented immigrant, brought to the state from Mexico when he was 9 years old.

The court earlier this year declined Jose Godinez-Samperio’s bid to become a lawyer, citing a federal restriction. But justices also urged lawmakers to change state law to override the federal ban — a move set for a final vote today in the Senate.

The tuition bill (HB 851) similarly must return to the House for a final vote because of changes made in the Senate since the House initially passed it.

The politics behind the developments, though, may be rooted in the upcoming governor’s race. Polls show Scott doing poorly with Florida Hispanics.

A Quinnipiac University survey before the session began showed Crist holding a two-to-one lead over Scott with Hispanic voters. As a candidate in 2010, Scott campaigned in support of a tough, Arizona-styled anti-immigration law, but failed to pursue such an effort as governor.

Scott’s appointment of Carlos Lopez-Cantero as lieutenant governor earlier this year also was seen as an attempt to bolster the governor’s prospects with the key voting bloc in Florida.

House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston of Fort Lauderdale pointed out after the in-state tuition bill passed, that similar measures had been introduced in the Florida Legislature since 2002. Each year, ruling Republicans blocked it.

“We’ve tried to get this bill passed because it’s something we truly believe in,” Thurston said. “It’s not something that we’re doing because it’s politically expedient.”

The Senate voted 26-13 in favor of the tuition bill after an hour of impassioned speeches for and against the measure.

Speaking against the bill, Sen. Aaron Beach, R-Jacksonville, asked the same question he posed during earlier debates: “Does being an American matter any more?”

“The laws aren’t being followed any more and we’re rewarding those who don’t follow the law,” Bean said. “We are giving so many benefits to non-citizens.”

Students wearing orange mortar board in support of the measure wiped away tears as Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, recalled her experience as a black fifth grader in 1954 when the U.S. Supreme Court banned segregation in schools and the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

“I never gave up my dream for equality,” Joyner said, addressing the students directly. “You are not to be blamed for wanting to be the best.”

The bill garnered unanimous support from Senate Democrats along with votes from several Republicans, including Sen. John Thrasher, R-Augustine, Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness and Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs. Opponents of the bill included Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville and Senate Budget Chief Joe Negron, R-Stuart.

The legislation that would help Godinez-Sampiero is narrowly tailored.

It would affect only someone who has lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years, came to the country as a child, is authorized to work and has been issued a Social Security number.

For males, the potential Bar member also would have had to signed up for Selective Service, which Godinez-Sampiero has done.

Godinez-Sampiero, who graduated from Florida State University College of Law in 2011 and passed the Florida Bar exam and its moral character test, watched the House vote Thursday from the public gallery and later acknowledged that combined with the tuition bill, it made for a remarkable day.

“The Florida Legislature is clearly moving in the right direction, recognizing the importance of immigrants in this state,” said Godinez-Sampiero. “I believe we are number four in the nation for immigrants…we’re great contributors to the economy. And the Florida Legislature is recognizing that.”
 
  Read more about Undocumented immigrants win big with in-state tuition, law license votes

There was one less drug-related death in Oregon last year, compared to 2012.

What stood out: The fewest number of people died as a result of cocaine use in more than a decade, but the greatest number of people lost their lives as a result of methamphetamine use since 2000...

...123 methamphetamine-related deaths did not result from overdoses of the drug, but the result of other traumatic incidents, such as a drowning or a car crash. Methamphetamine use is also linked to seizures and sudden elevation in blood pressure, which can cause strokes or a heart attack.
...Superlabs in Mexico took over production of methamphetamine after domestic U.S. production was essentially eliminated due to the limits placed on the key ingredient, pseudoephedrine, he said.

"Meth is probably the most plentiful drug in the western United States,'' Kruger said...

Dr. Karen Gunson, state medical examiner, said illicit drug deaths dropped by one in 2013, to 222 deaths from 223 in 2012. Last year, the state recorded the highest number of methamphetamine-related deaths since 2000, Gunson said.Stuart Tomlinson/The Oregonian/2012...

  Read more about Oregon drug deaths: More people dying from meth use, cocaine-related deaths at a low

(Washington, D.C. April 23, 2014) As the Obama administration edges closer to unilaterally halting all enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is staging an elaborate effort designed to create the illusion of public support for this sweeping and unconstitutional exercise of executive authority, charged the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

On Tuesday, Secretary Jeh Johnson met with two dozen immigration policy "stakeholders," all of whom have been part of a campaign to pressure the Obama administration to halt deportations of illegal aliens and implement a de facto amnesty under the guise of prosecutorial discretion. The 24 individuals who met with Johnson represented illegal alien advocacy groups, cheap labor lobbyists, and other outspoken opponents of immigration enforcement.

Since President Obama ordered DHS to review its deportation practices in March, Secretary Johnson has held numerous meetings with political and business advocates for amnesty, but has yet to meet with individuals or organizations representing the interests of the American people.

"The most important stakeholders in U.S. immigration policy are the American people, not the people who break our laws, and not the business interests that want greater access to low-wage foreign labor," declared Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "Yet, for the past five and half years, the Obama administration has consistently refused to acknowledge the interests of struggling American workers and taxpayers who are adversely affected by excessive levels of immigration and lax enforcement.

"While the Secretary’s door is wide open to illegal aliens and their advocates, it has been slammed shut on those who advocate enforcement of U.S. immigration laws in the public interest. These include the unions representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) personnel, sheriffs, and pro-enforcement advocacy groups," Stein said.

"No amount of staged meetings with narrow political interests and business lobbyists can alter the fact that President Obama has no constitutional authority to implement the policies these so-called stakeholders demand, as the president himself has conceded. Nor do these staged events obscure the fact that the voices of the true stakeholders in U.S. immigration policy — the American people — are being systematically excluded by a rogue administration determined to pursue its political goals at all costs," Stein concluded. Read more about DHS Stages Meeting with So-Called Immigration Stakeholders